Kenyan athletes set to participate in 21st African Athletics Championships in Asaba, State Nigeria are stranded at the airport in Lagos.
A video seen by Kenyans.co.ke shows the enraged athletes engaging officials in a bitter spat at the waiting lobby with some having just a few hours to their first races.
Reports indicate that the delegation comprising of about 80 Kenyan athletes and officials landed in Lagos at 2 pm on Monday but were unable to get a connecting flight to Asaba.
[caption caption="The athletes team before they left from Kenya"]
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Given that there are no scheduled flights to Asaba Airport which is approximately 500 kilometres away from Lagos, organisers have to charter aircraft to ferry delegations.
Poor organisation, however, is said to have left scores of athletes, officials and journalists stranded at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport but apparently, the airport in Asaba is unlit so no flights can land at night.
The delegation head Abraham Mutai and Athletics Kenya officials have raised concern over the confusion and a three-day backlog of transfers that are being handled on a first-come-first-served basis.
The competition kickoffs on Wednesday at 9 am with the decathlon’s 100 metres race where Kenya is represented by policeman Gilbert Koech.
The men’s 10,000 metres final will take place later in the evening at 8 pm (Kenyan time) where Kenya is set to be represented by Vincent Rono, Josephat Bett and Kipsang Temoi.
However, with the delays and looming uncertainty, the Kenyan team is contemplating returning home as the roads to the venue are reportedly in a "terrible" condition ruling out the possibility of the athletes considering it.
[caption caption="Stranded athletes from different countries"]
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CNN sports journalist Evelyn Watta noted: "It is not sounding very good in Lagos. Tired and visibly upset team Kenya are now looking at options to fly back home ASAP if they can't fly to Asaba today for Athletics champs that kick off tomorrow morning."
"Only 22 Kenyan athletes have just landed in Asaba. The bulk of them that includes athletes who are scheduled to race in 10000m men, 800 men and 400m tomorrow are still holed up at the domestic lounge.
"It's not only team Kenya that is stuck in Lagos, there are at least 200 athletes from about 12 countries stuck there including sprinters who are set to race in 100m sprints at 9 am," Watta indicated.
Here is a video from the airport in Lagos:
It is not sounding very good in Lagos. Tired and visibly upset team Kenya are now looking at options to fly back home ASAP if they can't fly to Asaba today for Athletics champs that kick off tomorrow morning. Apparently airport in Asaba is unlit so no flights can land at night. pic.twitter.com/cczYijAgfP
— Evelyn Watta (@evelynwatta) July 31, 2018
